Fin-ally Happy: Ricky Williams In Good Place With Miami

Davie, FL, United States (AHN) – Ask Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams what would constitute a successful season and he doesn’t even have to think before offering a confident response.

“I’m in it for two reasons: one, to get a paycheck, and two, to provide for my family,” said Williams, whose colorful past includes NFL suspensions for marijuana use, an introspective trip to India in hopes of becoming a holistic healer, enrolling in the California College of Ayurveda (an ancient healing science), and an affinity for yoga.

His approach seems to be working. Williams, who will be a key contributor this season although he’s not a starter, seems happier now than he’s been since he joined the Dolphins in 2002.

“I think I’ve always been happy,’ said Williams, who is married with four children. “I think people look at the things I do and they think I might not be happy, but the reason I do it is because I want to be happy.”

Happiness fits Williams well.

Last season the 33-year-old Williams, who has career totals of 8.892 yards rushing and 62 touchdowns, rushed for 1,121 yards and 11 touchdowns.

He established a NFL record for longest time between 1,000-yard rushing seasons (six years) and was voted the team’s Most Valuable Player.

No one expected such amazing exploits from Williams, the former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL rushing champion who had been in a high-profile state of flux since from 2004 through 2007.

In fact, Williams is in such great condition and has so much pep in his step nowadays even Dolphins coach Tony Sparano thinks the 10-year veteran could have another few years left.

“It’s the damndest thing,” Sparano said. “When you watch the guy run your eye tells you to keep watching for the arrow to go down and (see) the drop off. But I haven’t seen it.”

Most thought the dropoff came years ago.

In 2004, Williams, who was dealt to Miami from New Orleans two years earlier in a high-profile trade, abruptly and shockingly retired, opting for that route rather than have the public find out he’d failed three drug tests and faced a NFL-imposed suspension.

Williams eventually called the millions he’d earned “blood money” and decided he wanted a different lifestyle. That’s when he took the trip to India.

In January 2005, the Dolphins sued Williams and won, which meant he either had to return to the team or pay the Dolphins the $8.6 million value of his contract.

After serving a four-game suspension at the beginning of the 2005 season for violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, Williams returned to play the final 12 games.

But he still wasn’t thrilled by the idea of playing in the NFL and having restrictions imposed on his lifestyle. That was apparent when he again violated the NFL’s substance abuse policy and was suspended for the 2006 season.

Williams’ response was to spend the 2006 season with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. He was reinstated by the NFL in November 2007 but only played one game before sustaining a season-ending shoulder injury.

In 2008, Williams was a backup to running back Ronnie Brown, the rising star who earned a Pro Bowl berth by starring in Miami’s “Wildcat” offense, a formation in which the snap went directly to Brown and not a quarterback.

It was the hit of the NFL, and so was Brown, whose emergence made it appear likely it would be Williams’ final NFL season.

When Brown went down with a season-ending foot injury, however, the Dolphins leaned on Williams and he responded in a big way.

It turns out he still loved the game, and given the chance, he could still carry the load. It also turned out his body — possibly because of yoga, possibly because of holistic healing, possibly because he’s happy all around — was holding up better than expected.

Sparano thinks Williams could physically play another few years because he’s in such good shape. But Sparano doesn’t dare hazard a guess on whether he will play another few years.

“Ricky’s a lot smarter than I am,” Sparano said with a smile. “I would never get into that kind of conversation with him when it comes to those kinds of things…In his mind I could see the challenge of, ‘How long could I do this and keep my body going the way it’s going?’ I could see that.”

For his part, Williams just tries to keep going. He knows he won’t be playing football in five years.

“I’ll be in medical school in five years,” he said.

Studying what?

“Probably [to become] a psychiatrist,” he said. “It’s interesting to understand what makes people tick.”

As for football, the end of Williams’ NFL career will comes when it comes. And it won’t be an unhappy departure.

“I’m always going to be happy,” he said. “I’m always going to make sure of that. And what I’ve learned is instead of pursuing happiness doing something else, try to be happy doing what I’m doing.”

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